Passing On Interns Blocks
Potential Star Employees

By

Carol Hymowitz

Updated May 23, 2000 12:01 a.m. ET

WHEN MANAGERS PASS UP the chance to take on a summer intern, I think they are making a mistake. But I can understand their reluctance. Along with close supervision at work, interns often need advice on everything from where to find temporary housing to how to adjust to office protocol and where and how to network for future jobs.

I spent one summer fielding calls from an intern's mother, who wanted a weekly report on her son's progress and kept asking me to offer him a permanent job. Another summer, I invested considerable...